Wire-bound box fastener



Feb. 20, 1951 Y W. F. NEWHOUSE WIRE BOUND BOX FASTENER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 61, 1944 Feb. 20, 1951 w, NEWHQUSE 2,542,049

WIRE BOUND BOX FASTENER Filed Dec. 4, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 20, 1951 w, w ous 2,542,049

WIRE BOUND BOX FASTENER I Filed Dec. 4, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ma /Z266 Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES TENT 3 Claims.

'This invention relates in general to wirebound boxes and particularly to fasteners for containers. More specifically, the invention relates to metalfasteners for securing together prefabricated sections of wirebound boxes or other containers in which produce or articles of various kinds are packed or shipped.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a new, novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby fasteners are provided by cutting a fastening material such as a metal strip or wire to the proper length, before or after the material is applied to a prefabricated part of the container, such as the cover or end panel, there being fastening sec tions secured to the ends of the cut length of material, preferably by welding the sections to ends of the material, whereby there may beprovided a relatively long fastener at one end of the material and a relatively short fastener at the other end of the material, the longer =fastener being adapted. to have interlocking engagement with the shorter fastener to fasten prefabricated parts of the container in closed position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of binding material such as a metal strip or a wire to which there is secured end fasteners,

by welding or otherwise, whereby the fasteners may be secured to prefabricated parts of a container to hold the parts together.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of fasteners, in the form of loops, welded or otherwise secured to a strip of binding material, such as wire, whereby the fasteners may be interlocked and then bent to secure the ends of the material together and to hold prefabricated parts of the container together.

Another important object of the invention is to provide certain details and features of construction, increasing or tending to increase the general efficiency of a wire container fastener and to make containers such as wirebound boxes more desirable, particularly from the standpoint of economy, construction and handling.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and novel method of providing fastening means on the ends of binding material by first preforming loops of a predetermined size and contour and securing these loops a predetermined length.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout the progress of the specification which follows.

The; accompanying drawings illustrate certain 2 selected embodiments of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of a wirebound box and embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is .a detail perspective view of one of the improved fasteners, showing the same applied to a box cover, with the long loop in position to be bent to form a hook;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the lon loop bent to the form of a hook and in engagement with the small loop to retain the cover in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a box I blank from which the box is made, showing the fastener loops at the opposite ends of the biank;

5 is a detail fragmentary perspective View of a long fastener and a part of a box cover, and showing the long loop or fastener before it is secured to an end of the binding wire on the cover;

Fig. .6 is a detail view showing the long loop fastened to the binding wire on the cover;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line l-'i of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail fragmentary perspective View of a short fastener and a part of a box cover, and showing the short loop or fastener before it is secured to an end of the binding wire on the cover;

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view showing the short 100p fastened to an end of the wire on the box cover;

. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view of a anodified form of short loop, the loop having an engaging prong on one end thereof;

Fig. 11 is a detail plan view showing the manner in which the wire and the fastening loops may be pre-formed to effect a welding operation;

Fig. 12 is a perspective View of a part of a wirebound box prior to assembly, and embodying the invention;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a reinforcing cleatof a side wall and a portion of an end wall in position for assembly to form a container construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 14 is a detail perspective View of a fastener adapted to be secured to material such as binding wire, the fastening being adapted to secure the side panels and end panels together;

Fig. 15 is amodified form of fastener, and

Fig. 16 is another modified form of fastener.

The particular construction herein shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention comprises a box having a top cover l, a front wall 2, a bottom wall 3 and a rear wall 4. Cleats 5 3 are secured to the walls I-4 and co-operate with the ends 6, of the box. 7

Fasteners are provided for securing certain prefabricated parts of containers together, the fasteners being shown herein for securing the side panels together, such as for locking the cover to a front panel or for securing end panels to side panels.

Fasteners for securing the side panels together, such as a top cover panel to a front panel is shown in Figs. 1 to 11 inclusive. These fasteners may be made in the form of an open long loop I, both legs of which are rigidly fastened to one end of material such as a binding wire 8, and a short open loop 9, both legs of which are also rigidly fastened to the other end of the material or binding wire. Several binding wires 8 may be secured around the box and held in place by staples I9 in the usual manner.

- The longer loops I, forming tongues, are adapted to be inserted through the shorter loops 9, as shown in Fig. 2, after the box is filled and the cover is closed. Each longer loop or tongue i is bent about the end of a short loop 9 to form a hook and eye lock to hold the cover I in closed position, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

The loops 7 and 9 may be fastened to the ends of the material or wires 8 by electric welding, or by brazing or by other expedients, in any satisfactory manner, whereby the preformed loops are fastened to the ends of the material which has already been cut to the proper length. The fastening in place of the loops 1 and 9 to the precut binding wires may be done either before the wires are stapled to the cover, or to any other part of the box or container, or they may be fastened in place after the wires are stapled or otherwise fastened to the cover or other parts of the container. The ends of the binding wires 8 may be cut off preferably a predetermined distance from the two edges of the blank in instances where the binding wires are stapled in place before the loop fasteners are applied, as shown in Figs. and 8. The loops '5 and 9 are then welded or otherwise fastened to the respective ends of the binding wire. If the wire is cut to the, proper length before it is stapled in place, the loops i and 9 may be welded or otherwise fastened to the ends of pre-cut predetermined lengths of binding wire before the binding wire is stapled or otherwise fastened to the cover or other parts of the container, if desired.

The invention contemplates the use of material for the binding wires 8 to staple together the cover and other parts of the container. The material or binding wire may be any kind desired, it may be either soft or hard or it may be flat strip material or round Wire. It is preferable however, that relatively soft and bendable material be used for the loops '3 and 9, particularly the loops a which are adapted to be bent. The fastener loops 3 and 9 and the binding wires 8 need not be made of the same hardness nor quality, but may be different, depending upon the results desired, inasmuch as the loops are not integral with the binding wires. With this construction the loops will not only be rigidly connected with the binding Wires, but will be adapted for ready binding with respect thereto, while at the same time the loops will be maintained against becoming detached from the binding wires.

A wirebound box is shown and described, as illustrative of one use of the invention, but it is obvious that fasteners of the present kind may be used on other types of containers.

The fasteners and 9 may have one leg longer than the other and bent over to form a prong to engage the cover (Fig. 10) to prevent shifting of the end of the binding wire. Fig. 10 discloses a small loop 9 provided with a downward extending portion I I which may, if desired, have a relatively sharp point I2. The leg or extension II may be bent over and driven into a wall of the crate. A leg of the long loop 7 may be provided with the extensions II and I2, as shown applied to the short loop 9 in Fig. 10. The extension II, with its end I2, may be applied to either of the loops 9 or I and driven through the sheet material from which the container is made and then clinched over on the opposite side of'the sheet, if desired.

In welding, it may be desirable to provide the binding wire 8 with projections I3 on opposite sides thereof (Fig. 11). These projections may be formed by forming indentations I4 whereby the space between the formations will comprise the projections I3. These indentations and projections may be form-ed by performing a swedging or similar action on the binding wire. Also, the loops 1 and 9 may be provided with a similar operation to provide projections I5 (Fig. 11) which are adapted to contact with the projections I3 on the binding wire 8. These projections I5 may be formed in the same manner in which the projections l3 are formed on the binding wire 8. The projections I3 and I5 are preferably fiat so as to maintain good contact between the two elements for welding purposes.

The invention, of course, is adapted for other uses than securing together side panels like the cover to a front panel and includes connecting together any prefabricated parts of a container. The embodiment shown in Figs. 12 to 14 discloses the invention as applied to a container construction for securing end panels to side panels. The container shown in Fig. 12 may have the side panels I4 secured together in the manner previously described, and the end panels 6 may be secured to the cleats 5 on the side panels I-t by providing fasteners I6 in the form of loops like the loops 1 or 9, secured to the ends of metal ma-. terial such as wire II, Figs. 12 to 14. The material Il may be secured on either face of an end panel 6, the drawing showing it secured to the inner face of the panels. Staples I8 may be used to hold the material I1 in place on the end panels. The fasteners I6 may be bent over as indicated in Figs. 12 and 13 to be received in receiving notches I9 formed in the cleats 5. A nail or other fastener may be driven through the loops I6 to secure the parts together in the manner disclosed in applicants co-pending application S. N. 514,601 filed December 17, 1943, now Patent 2,391,032 is-= sued December 18, 1945.

The fasteners I6 may comprise the wire loop construction shown in Figs. 1 to 11 and 14 or they may be made of fiat stampings as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. The fastener loop I6, Fig. 15, may be a fiat stamping forming a tongue 29 having an integral neck or leg 2|. The leg or neck ZI may be fiat if the binding material 8, I1 is fiat or strip material or it may be rounded as at 22 if the material be relatively round in cross section like wire. The ends of the material may be welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the leg or neck 2I of each tongue 20. The tongue 20 may be a solid fiat piece, or it may be cut out in any convenient manner. such as indicated at ,23, Fig. 15.

The tongue 20 which may be used in place of the loop I is adapted to cooperate with the fastener l6 shown in Fig. 16, this latter fastener adapted to be substituted for the fastener 9.

The fastener is shown in Fig. 16 comprises a body 24 made of fiat material with an integral attaching leg or neck 25. The leg or neck 25 may be configurated to conform with the cross sectional shape of the material used and is rigidly connected to the container encircling member in any suitable manner such as by welding. The body 24 may be cut out as indicated at 26 to provide a receiving keeper for the tongue 20, or a tongue 9. Tongues 9 or 20 may be used in cooperation with the members 1 and 24 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

The invention contemplates the use of fasteners, regardless of form, adapted to be rigidly secured to binding material, such as strip material or wire and regardless whether soft or hard, for securing prefabricated container parts together. Electric welding has been specifically mentioned for the attaching of the fasteners to the ends of the binding material, but it is to be understood that any equivalent method can be used.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A wirebound type of collapsible box comprising a plurality of side wall panels arranged edge to edge; a length of binding wire spanning the outer faces of said panels and terminating in face-contacting straight ends disposed a short distance inward of the respective opposite free end edges of said box; means securing the length of wire to said panels; and a readil bendable metal loop of generally U-shape having the end portions of its legs integrally joined to each straight end portion of said binding wire, each of said loops extending beyond the corresponding end edge, and at least one of said loops being of softer material than said wire and formed for insertion of one within the other, whereby said loops may be bent to constitute a hook and eye fastening for the box.

2. A collapsible box construction comprising a plurality of side wall panels arranged edge to edge; a plurality of lengths of binding wire spanning the outer faces of said panels in spaced relation and terminating in face-contacting straight ends disposed a short distance inward of the respective opposite free end edges of said box construction; staples securing the lengths of wire to each of said panels; and a readily bendable metal loop of generally U-shape having the end portions of its legs integrally joined to each straight end portion of said lengths of binding wire, each of said loops extending beyond the corresponding end edge, and at least one of said loops being of softer material than said wire and the loops at the opposite ends of each length of wire being formed for insertion of one within the other, whereby said loops may be bent to constitute a hook and eye fastening for the box construction.

3. A wirebound type of collapsible box comprising a plurality of side wall panels arranged edge to edge; a length of binding wire spanning the outer faces of said panels and terminating in face-contacting straight ends disposed a short distance inwardly of the respective opposite free end edges of said box; means securing the length of wire to said panels; and a readily bendable metal loop of generally U-shape having the end portions of its legs integrally joined to each straight end portion of said binding wire, each of said loops extending beyond the corresponding end edge, at least one of said loops being of softer, material than said wire and formed for insertion of one within the other, whereby said loops may be bent to constitute a hook and eye fastening for the box, and a leg of one of said loops being sharpened and bent from the plane of the loop to form a tine adapted to be driven into the panel to hold the binding wire end and attached loop firmly on the panel at the place where the loop joins the wire end.

WALTER F. NEWHOUSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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